French President Emmanuel Macron (R) welcomes Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the MED7 plenary session on September 10, 2020 in Porticcio, Corsica.

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Ludovic Marin / AFP / POOL

The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced on Saturday a “significant” program of arms purchases and a reorganization of the country's armed forces, while tension is mounting with Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece would procure 18 French-made Rafale fighters, as well as frigates and helicopters, recruit 15,000 additional soldiers and further fund its defense industry.

"The time has come to strengthen our armed forces (…) This is an important program which will form a national shield", declared the Prime Minister in a speech in Thessaloniki, in the north of Greece.

He added that this program should allow the creation of thousands of jobs.

“Endangering” regional security

Turkey and Greece, both members of NATO, are tearing up over oil fields in the eastern Mediterranean, in an area that Athens considers to be under its sovereignty.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused Turkey on Saturday of "threatening" the eastern borders of Europe and "endangering" regional security.

Tensions between the two countries escalated when Turkey on August 10 sent a seismic survey vessel accompanied by warships into waters claimed by Greece, prompting Athens to launch naval maneuvers .

"Do not seek quarrel with Turkey"

France has clearly shown its support for Greece by deploying warships and fighter jets in the region, an initiative strongly denounced by the Turkish president.

In addition, Emmanuel Macron and his six southern EU counterparts on Thursday urged Turkey to stop its policy of "confrontation" in the area and threatened it with European sanctions if Ankara continues to challenge gas exploration rights. of Greece and Cyprus in the area.

"Do not seek quarrel with the Turkish people, do not seek quarrel with Turkey," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Emmanuel Macron in a televised speech in Istanbul on Saturday.

The French president had also considered that the Turkish government "had today unacceptable behavior" and had to "clarify its intentions".

The Turkish head of state further urged Greece to "stay away" from "erroneous" actions supported by countries like France in the eastern Mediterranean.

France stepped up its military presence in this area last month.

"Mr. Macron, you have not finished having trouble with me," said the Turkish president, attacking for the first time directly and by name his counterpart, whom he also accused of " lack of historical knowledge ”and felt that France“ could not teach Turkey a lesson in humanity ”because of its colonial past in Algeria and its role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Politics

Tensions in the Mediterranean: "Europe must have a more united and clearer voice" in the face of Turkey, asks Emmanuel Macron

  • Tensions

  • Recep Tayyip Erdogan

  • Emmanuel Macron

  • Mediterranean

  • Turkey

  • Greece

  • World